| William Wilfred Campbell, comp. The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse. 1913. | | | | The Mountain and the Lake | | By Robert William Service (1874–1958) |
| | | I KNOW a mountain thrilling to the stars, | |
| Peerless and pure, and pinnacled with snow; | |
| Glimpsing the golden dawn o’er coral bars, | |
| Flaunting the vanished sunset’s garnet glow; | |
| Proudly patrician, passionless, serene; | 5 |
| Soaring in silvered steeps where cloud-surfs break; | |
| Virgin and vestal—oh, a very Queen! | |
| And at her feet there dreams a quiet lake. | |
| |
| My lake adores my mountain—well I know, | |
| For I have watched it from its dawn-dream start, | 10 |
| Stilling its mirror to her splendid snow, | |
| Framing her image in its trembling heart; | |
| Glassing her graciousness of greening wood, | |
| Kissing her throne, melodiously mad, | |
| Thrilling responsive to her every mood, | 15 |
| Gloomed with her sadness, gay when she is glad. | |
| |
| My lake has dreamed and loved since time was born; | |
| Will love and dream till time shall cease to be; | |
| Gazing to her in worship half forlorn, | |
| Who looks towards the stars and will not see— | 20 |
| My peerless mountain, splendid in her scorn … | |
| Alas! poor little lake! Alas! poor me! | | | | |
|
|
